


new beginnings

by kalebale



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: (or at least I think its kinda canon divergence??), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, where Amy has kids but not with Jake (yet)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:01:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24707272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalebale/pseuds/kalebale
Summary: “Santiago.. May I call you Amy?”“Yes, sir.”“Amy,” His eyes seemed to turn a bit soft, not enough to be noticeable to the naked eye but just enough for Amy to feel the change in tone, “You are the right person for my squad. I would be a fool to let you go. You are an exceptional detective, despite what went wrong today. You are needed here."//AU: Amy has three kids and just moved to the 99 to begin the newest chapter in her family's life. What will life at the 99 bring for the Santiago girls?
Relationships: Jake Peralta & Amy Santiago, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago, Ray Holt & Amy Santiago, Rosa Diaz/Amy Santiago
Comments: 7
Kudos: 64





	1. first impressions

“Mama...” A quiet whisper broke the early morning silence in the master bedroom, with a finger gently jabbing Amy’s side.

She tried her best to ignore it for now. Her alarm hadn’t gone off yet and her gut told her that it would be just minutes before it did. Any sleep she could get right now would be appreciated in the long run.

But the jabbing didn’t stop. With another jab, another small plea for her came from the girl at the side of her bed. “Mama, wake up...”

Amy’s eyes eventually slowly opened, giving up on the hopes of sleeping in for just a quick second. Her five year old stood in her line of sight with her thumb tucked into her mouth and big brown eyes fighting sleep.

“Riley, babe, what are you doing up?” Amy pulled herself up, checking her phone. It was only 4, leaving at least an hour before she would be up and another before she would have to get the rest of her girls up.

Riley pulled herself up onto the bed and snuggled into Amy’s side. “There was a monster in the closet.”

“A monster in the closet? That doesn’t sound good,” The mother yawned while reaching her arm around her youngest to pull her in. Her fingers ran through Riley’s loose brown waves.

“It wasn’t,” Riley pouted, “He was saying mean things and telling me I was dumb and a scardy-cat. Like Sarah does sometimes.”

Stifling a laugh at her daughter’s more than active imagination, Amy instead placed a warm kiss on top of her head. “Sounds like that monster’s a big meany, huh?”

“A really big one,” Amy watched Riley fold her arms, forcing her bottom lip out while frowning.

“Well, I have to be up in about an hour to get ready,” Amy pulled the covers over them, “But you are more than welcome to sleep here with me for a little bit longer. How does that sound, Ri?”

Riley nodded before shifting deeper under the covers and nestling herself into Amy’s side. Still running her fingers through Riley’s hair, Amy couldn’t help but wish her youngest would stay this small forever.

A small yawn escaped the little one’s mouth. “Mama?”

“Yeah baby?”

“Are you excited for your new job tomorrow?”

A small smile sprawled across Amy’s face, thinking about the new chapter their family was beginning. Tomorrow would be her first day at the NYPD’s 99th precinct as one of their detectives. The new adventure at the 99 continuously felt daunting, yet something in Amy told her that this was needed to happen. They needed a fresh start, to get away from where they once were.

The past year had been hard on Amy and the Santiago girls. Between losing the girls’ dad in a freak car wreck and the drama with Amy’s now ex-boyfriend, a fresh reset in their life was needed. That fresh reset began with the recent move from Ohio to Brooklyn. She knew it was hard on the girls to have that reset but was confident that the change would be good for all of them.

“Yeah, I’m super excited. Do you remember Auntie Rosa?”

Riley nodded at the mention of her aunt as well as Amy’s longest and best friend. Rosa and Amy had grown up together--going to the same school, taking ballet together, and much more. Amy’s family even became Rosa’s when she was kicked out in high school after lots of rebellious stints.

The pair were like sisters, never leaving one another’s side. But it was all threatened when Rosa moved out to New York to join the 99 and Amy to Ohio to raise her family. Even then, there were constant calls between the two and a few visits thrown in between. Their bond was unbreakable.

“She’s gonna be at my work tomorrow, so I’ll get to spend the whole day with her. How cool is that?”

Another yawn came from Riley. “Super cool, Mama.”

With one last light kiss placed on Riley’s head, Amy’s rested her chin on top of her daughters. “Get some rest, babe. You got a big day at school tomorrow.”

Riley nodded, beginning her drift back into a deep sleep. “G’night.. Love you.”

“I love you more, RiRi.”

She stored this precious moment in her memory, hoping for it to stick for an eternity. Lots was going to change in a few hours for the Santiago girls. And she just hoped that she wasn’t making a mistake with it all.

* * *

“Mom, Sarah’s getting in my way!”

“Mom, Em’s being a butthead!”

Now standing in her bathroom at 6:30 and finishing getting ready for the day, Amy took a deep breath. Her two oldests were at it again, relentless with the name calling and the cutthroat jabs at one another. This was the last thing she needed on her first day of work.

A crash of dishes followed soon after, hitting the floor and most likely breaking. Taking the straightener through her hair, Amy took in one more breath, counting down the seconds before one of the two came barrelling down the hall to blame the other for what happened.

Three..

Sprinting footsteps came from down the hall with some bickering trailing behind.

Two..

Her bedroom door open and shut forcefully. Another name and insult being said to the other by whichever daughter was in the room. The screech of her dresser being pulled across the floor and left partially in front of the door to act as a barricade.

One..

And finally, slamming the bathroom door shut and throwing her weight against it as a safety measure, Sarah Santiago tried to catch her breath. Amy opened her eyes before continuing her morning routine, not making eye contact with her daughter.

“I think that’s a new record for you,” She pulls another section of hair to be done, “But the dresser won’t help you next time.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because next time the dresser will be full of my clothes. It won’t be that easy to move.”

Sarah, rolling her eyes, scowled at her mother before finally relaxing a bit. She sunk to the ground and crossed her arms soon after. “Em’s doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Being...” Sarah groaned after failing to find the right words to describe the situation. “She’s just trying to be like you and boss me around and tell me what to do!”

From her spot in front of the sink, Amy chuckled. Emily and Sarah could not be more at odds with each other. Their personalities were like night and day, light and dark. They clashed more often than actually worked together. And with the stress of the move and then starting all over, the way they typically treated each other did not improve.

But she also knew exactly what Sarah was talking about. Emily had the infamous Santiago tendency to control things when life as a whole felt far out of grasp. It kept her from spiralling and reinforced the idea that she was safe and in control of what was going on. Amy knew the tendency all too well, always reminded that Emily was just like herself in more ways than one.

“She’s just stressed, Sar. And this is the only way she knows how to manage all of that stress and change. Just take a deep breath and--”

“It’s just stupid!” Sarah interrupted, “Like why can’t she just leave me alone? I can make my own breakfast and lunch. I know how to read a clock. I don’t need to be reminded that we have to leave in 30 minutes!”

“Sar--”

“And she’s a big freaking.. Freak! She has to control everything. Why can’t she just be normal?”

Stepping away from getting ready, Amy met Sarah on the floor, reaching out to take the 11 year old’s hands in her own and giving a tight squeeze. “Hey, take a deep breath, okay?”

Sarah had the shortest fuse of the four Santiago girls. The smallest thing, like Emily reminding her of what time it was, had the possibility to set her off. If the situation wasn’t quickly remedied, by either Sarah removing herself from the situation or her mom reminding her to breathe, the 11 year old would soon explode into fits of rage--throwing punches, yelling, and much more.

“But Mom--”

“Deep breath, Sarah Camila.”

She eventually gave in and soon pulled her hands away from Amy’s. “I’m ready to listen.”

“We’re all stressed, Sarah. This is just how Em deals with it. Give her some grace. We’ll all get through this,” Amy pulled herself up to return to the sink, “I’ll talk with Em before you guys head off to school. Just steer clear of her until then.”

After another deep and dramatic sigh, Sarah rolled her eyes and got up. “Ugh. Fine.”

The bathroom door opened once more as the middle Santiago child began to leave the room. Amy felt the world stabilize for a second. Sarah would most likely stay out of Emily’s way for the morning, thus no more fires to be put out. All she had to focus on was work and making sure she looked her best for her first day. As she told her girls all the time, first impressions mattered.

Not even a minute later, her 15 year old walked into Amy’s room with Riley on her hip, concern written across her face. “Mom, Ri says she doesn’t feel good.”

Putting down her make-up brush, Amy turns to see the pair. Riley was still in her pajamas from earlier, drowsy as ever. Maybe it was just first day of school jitters. Santiago’s don’t get sick ever.

The back of her hand pressed against Riley’s forehead, feeling the warmth radiate. “You feel pretty warm, Ri. Does your tummy hurt or anything?”

“A little bit..”

“I took her temperature a few minutes ago. It was at 100,” Emily spoke up, “I can stay home with her today. You have to go to work. It’s your first day. Impressions matter on the first day.”

Taking Riley from her oldest, Amy shook her head, “No, it’s your first day of school. You’re going.”

“But Mom,” Emily pleaded, furrowing her eyebrows together loosely, “I just.. What if..”

“Em,” The mother rested a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, “You’re going to be okay. We’ve toured the school, met the principle, explained our situation... There’s no reason to be scared.”

“But what if--”

“Don’t play the what if game today, babe. Trust me. You’re safe, and you’re going to school. I’ll take care of Ri.”

Emily shook her head. “You have work today. She can’t go with you..”

Looking between her two girls with a heavy sigh, Amy shrugged. “I have no other option. Go finish getting ready. We have 15 minutes until we have to leave.”

A reluctant “yes ma’am” followed before Emily left the pair to finish up. Amy felt Riley rest her head into the crook of her neck, her body exhausted from fighting off the sickness. A light kiss was pressed to the sick girl’s head.  
Today was definitely going to be an interesting first day, and she had no clue what impression she would be making with her new squad.

* * *

“Mama, my tummy really hurts..” Riley moaned from the car seat as Amy gathered their belongings to head inside the precinct.

Slinging her own bag over her shoulder, Amy reached down to grab the five year old out of the car. It was just a few minutes past 7:35. This was not the impression she wanted to leave on her first day. It already wasn’t ideal that a sick Riley was with her and now being a bit late wasn’t helping either.

“I know, babe. We just need to get upstairs, and you can lay down and go back to sleep.” The mother responded before inwardly rejoicing at the sight of her best friend exiting the door. “Thank you so much. I owe you one.”

Rosa shrugged, a small smile escaping at the sight of her niece. “Anytime. You know I’d do anything for you guys, especially Riley.”

The sick girl turned from Amy’s shoulder to see her aunt. Her arms stretched out towards her. “Auntie RoRo..”

“Hey pal,” Rosa took the girl into her arms, “Your mom said you don’t feel good?”

Shaking her head, Riley rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder. “My tummy hurts and I feel cold.”

“That stinks. I have a place upstairs where you can take a nap for a bit. How does that sound?” The little girl offered a weak thumbs up, obviously exhausted.

What has always astounded Amy was how Rosa cared for each of her girls. Anybody who knew Rosa knew how tough she was. She rarely cracked smiles, refused to be anything but dignified and tough, and hated any kind of physical affection. Yet, when it came to the three Santiago girls, Rosa was the complete opposite.

When ballet performances and science fairs arose, Rosa was the one cheering on from the crowd for them. If there was an emergency that landed any of them in the hospital, Rosa was the one to join Amy at their bedside, offering cool stories and dope treats to pass the time. And even with something like school bullies, Rosa was the one not only teaching them self-defense but also how to stand up for those around them. None of the girls could have asked for a better aunt.

“Okay, so tell me. What’s the captain like? The squad? I need more details.” Amy began to pester with questions as the trio made their way up to the bullpen.

Rosa sighed. “Captain Holt is pretty dope. He’s a hardworking guy, wants to get the job done right the first time. No bullshit from him.”

“Do you think he’s the one?”

“Huh?”

“You know, the one. My mentor, my rabbi.. The key to me making captain,” Amy shook her head. “Sometimes it’s like you don’t read my emails about it.”

“Anyways,” Rosa continued, stepping into the elevator and pushing a button, “Sarge is great. You’ll like him. He has two girls of his own, so he knows what it’s like to balance working full-time on the force and raising his kids.”

The elevator dinged as Amy took one last deep breath. Everything was going to change in a mere matter of seconds. Did she feel prepared? Absolutely not. There was still more to learn and figure out before this moment; but, ready or not, it was here.

Bustling with action, cops and detectives alike shuffled around the bullpen. Some detectives remained hard at work, filing paperwork or listening to victims at their desks; but others, like the one right across from an empty desk, tossed a foam basketball towards a hoop suctioned-cupped to the window. The shot made it, causing the small section of detectives to erupt in cheers.

She silently hoped in that moment that that empty desk wasn’t hers, and the guy across from it was not her partner.

“Holt’s office is this way. Come on,” Rosa led the small pack, ushering them towards the closed door. A quick swift knock and response from Holt later, they stood face to face with the man Amy hoped would judge her too quick for bringing her daughter to work on the first day.

Amy stretched out her arm to the Captain. “Captain Holt, I’m Detective Santiago. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m very impressed by your work here at the 99th precinct.”

“Thank you, detective. I appreciate your comments. I’ve heard exceptional things about you from Detective Diaz. I expect you will make a great addition to the squad,” Holt returned the shake before being caught off guard by Riley and Rosa, “And Detective Diaz, who may this be in your arms?”

Amy’s head snapped back to look at the pair before looking back at her captain. “Uh, sir, it’s actually a funny story. I--”

“My name’s Riley. Riley Rosa Santiago. It’s very nice to meet you, sir,” Riley’s little voice spoke up, shocking Holt a bit. “I’m not gonna shake your hand. I’m really sick. Mommy says we shouldn’t spread germs.”

Rosa stifled a laugh and soon explained Amy’s predicament of sorts, “Sir, with Detective Santiago’s recent move, she hasn’t really found anyone to watch her kids when something comes up. It would probably be me but I’m here. Riley’s sick today so she will be hanging out with us at the precinct. She will stay out of the way and just rest though.”

Looking back from Rosa to Amy, Holt crossed his arms. “Is that true, Detective?”

“Yes sir. Believe me, it’s rare that my children join me at work. Today was a special case,” Amy fiddled with her fingers, talking faster as her anxiety began to peak. “I couldn’t find a sitter to watch her since we’re still pretty new in town and my oldest couldn’t miss school to watch her.”

“You mentioned children. How many do you have?”

“Three, sir. 15, 11, and 5.”

“They’re some of the best kids you’ll ever meet, Captain Holt,” Rosa chimed in.

Contemplating the situation, Holt made his way back to the chair behind his desk. If he was to say yes and let Riley stay for the day, he risked having a young child exposed to dangerous situations alongside some threatening suspects. The 99 was no child’s personal playground or day care. Yet, if he was to say no and thus turn away Riley and Detective Santiago, he would most likely be losing the most exceptional detective in the district’s history. The evaluations she’s earned from previous captains and COs were glowing. He could not let her loose that easily.

“Very well,” He put on his glasses before picking up a pen and addressing some pressing paperwork, “Miss Santiago is welcome to stay. Neither of you will be letting her out of your sight, not even for a second. I cannot afford the repercussions if she wanders around the precinct unsupervised. Is that understood?”

Amy nodded, finally releasing her breath and feeling all her anxiety melt away, “Yes, sir. She won’t be wandering or anything. Just lots of rest and hydration.”

“And I trust this situation will not greatly affect your work today?”

“No, sir. Riley is able to keep herself entertained. My work here is my first priority today.”

“Good to hear. Welcome aboard, detective,” Holt remained focused on his work but gestured out towards the bullpen. “Your desk is right over there, in front of Peralta’s. He will be your partner. I’m confident Detective Diaz can help you get settled in.”

Amy turned to see where he was pointing but was flabbergasted by the sight before her. The Peralta her captain spoke of was the same guy playing mini-basketball just moments before. Everything about him screamed immature and childish, the last impression Amy wanted to have of someone.

“Thank you, sir.”

They soon made their way back out to the two desks. Rosa passed the little girl over to her mother before catching the other detective’s attention by snapping in front of him. “Jake, I have someone for you to meet.”

Jake. That was her new partner’s name. He was practically a child. His untamed curls looked like a small mop on his head. No tie to bring his outfit together, but rather a stained t-shirt and patched up jacket. His badge dangled around from his neck, at least being displayed correctly. Her five year old knew how to act and look more professional in a police precinct than this guy.

Jake then stood up, hands in pockets and a bright smile. “So this is who the Captain’s been talking about the past few days.”

She tried to push back all assumptions about him, offering a stiff hand to shake. “Detective Santiago. I’m starting today.”

How was she going to survive?


	2. the puzzle

“Detective Peralta. Welcome aboard,” Jake’s hand grasped hers, feeling the firm shake she gave. It wasn’t long after that Amy would slowly pull away and notice the sticky, gummy residue on her hand, looking up at him in disgust. Jake chuckled. “Sorry, breakfast in my pockets was not my best idea.”

Biting her lip, she slowly nodded. How was she stuck with him? The man did not know how to shake a hand properly _(that was evident the second their hands touched)_ , and he kept sticky candy _(or “breakfast” as he apparently likes to call it)_ in his pockets. What was she getting herself into?

Riley remained quiet in Amy’s arms, still shyly sucking on her thumb and just as shocked with Jake as her mother was. Noticing this, Jake shifted his smile to her. “Are you my new partner too?”

She shook her head, trying to hide her face once more. He was a stranger. Unlike Captain Holt, who her aunt said was a friend earlier, she knew nothing about this guy other than how upset he made Amy.

“Uh, this.. This is my daughter, Riley,” Amy pushed back one of Riley’s braids, urging her to come out and talk for just a moment. “Ri, say hi to Detective Peralta.”

Reluctantly, Riley turned her head while still resting it on Amy’s shoulder. “Hi Detective Peralta...”

“You don’t have to call me that. Call me Jake,” He looked down to notice the turtle socks she was wearing and playfully gasped. “Riley, are those turtle socks?!”

Another silent nod followed as Jake held up his end of the conversation. “Are turtles your favorite animal?”

Unable to answer, Riley felt her cheeks puff up and eyes go wide. Amy watched in shock and turned to make a sprint towards the bathroom. Rosa stayed there, now standing beside Jake and sighing.

“That poor kid.. She hasn’t felt good all morning,” She folded her arms and shook her head.

“She’s sick,” Jake fell back into his chair, picking up the small police officer figurine and observing it closely.

“Yeah, woke up with a fever and upset stomach,” With one last look to Jake, Rosa started to make her way back to her desk, “Take it easy on Santiago.”

Though one could assume his observation would be solely on the figurine, he actually was pondering his new partner. She looked cleaned up and put together, tightly wound like a grandfather clock. There’s no doubt she spent over an hour in front of her mirror this morning while getting ready. Detective Santaigo was nothing like him. 

What was Holt thinking, making them partners? Was she supposed to change his ways? It was no secret that Holt wasn’t exactly fond of Jake. Yes, Jake has successfully solved hundreds of cases; but the way he presented himself made Holt watch him like a hawk constantly. And even though things like wearing a tie, cleaning up his desk and locker, and so much more could improve his standing with Holt, no one could make Jake Peralta do anything he didn’t want to.

And that included growing up.

* * *

“Do you feel a little better now, baby?” The motherly detective was on her knees in the bathroom, helping Riley get cleaned up after their emergency detour.

Clutching onto her blanket for dear life, Riley somberly nodded, drowsy as ever. “I just wanna sleep..”

“I know, babe. I know. Maybe Auntie RoRo has an idea where you can take a nap?”

After another nod, Amy scooped up her daughter and walked back out to the bullpen in search of her friend. Hopefully putting Rylie down for a nap would help her feel a bit better and she would be able to get some work done without having to play Mommy and Detective simultaneously. She loved both roles dearly, but her focus needed to be on detective first. Her gut told her that Holt needed to be impressed, and she was going to do just that.

Taking a seat by Rosa’s desk and having a sleepy Riley snuggle deeper into her arms, the detective searched for words to describe the situation. “Hey, are you going on a break soon?”

“Not for a while. What’s up?”

“Riley needs to take a nap, but I need to set up my desk and figure Peralta out--”

“Good luck with that last thing.”

Amy scoffed, “ _Anyways_ , I need to get some work done and Holt said we can let her out of our sight. Is there anywhere she could take a nap and you could watch her?”

“You’re lucky I like you guys,” Rosa sighed, “There’s a couch in the break room. I’ll bring my work in there and keep an eye on her while she sleeps. Go get some work done.”

“Really? You’re the best. I owe you one,” The other detective replied, passing over the five year old.

“Anything for your girls. You know that.”

With Amy putting a quick kiss on her daughter’s head, the pair split and went to their respective spots. Amy kept a close eye on Jake on her walk over. Not much has changed in the last 20 minutes. He was still goofing off and his desk was still a mess. Maybe, _hopefully_ , she could be the good influence on him. That had to be the silver lining in all of this. There had to be a bigger purpose for them to be partners.

He soon watched Amy return and unpack her box of belongings, carefully setting up three picture frames alongside some other knick-knacks on her desk. “How’s Riley doing?”

“Feeling a bit better. She’s taking a nap in the break room right now. Rosa’s keeping an eye on her.”

“Noice,” Earlier, he traded his figurine for the small ball on his desk, and now threw it in the air before catching it. “When were you going to tell me that you had three kids?”

“Excuse me?”

He stopped with the ball, sighing, and turning to fully face his partner. “Three picture frames on your desk, a few of those tiny origami bird things in different colors that are at the bottom of your box, and a small friendship bracelet tied onto your keychain. Now either those point towards you having three kids--one of them being Miss Riley from earlier--or you’re not as professional as Holt thought you were?”

How the hell did he gather that much evidence in the three minutes of her unpacking?

“Um, yeah..” Baffled, she sat at her chair, facing him with furrowed brows, “Three kids.”

“And I’m guessing Riley is your youngest?” He leaned a bit more forward, “Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re.. You’re right.”

“And your two oldest--there’s only a few years between them, and they’re complete opposites. They fight with each other a lot. Name calling, yelling, sometimes hands are thrown.. The typical sister conflict?”

She drops her phone, more frustrated now than confused that he knows this much. “How? How do you know all of this?”

“Well, with Rylie,” Jake gestured towards the breakroom, “You hold her like she’s still your baby. You don’t want her to grow up so you hold tightly onto the things that make her still a little kid.”

He was supposed to be immature and childish. That’s how he looked on the outside. Now his investigation skills baffled Amy. He knew lots and they’ve barely had a full conversation.

“And what about with Emily and Sarah?”

“Emily and Sarah. Good names,” He smiles and pulls out his phone before turning back to his new partner, “Rosa gave me the low-down on you yesterday. I don’t let just anyone be my partner. I need my inside info.”

“How do you know Rosa?”

“Academy days, young padawan,” He smirked, “I’m surprised she never mentioned me, her **_best_ ** friend.”

Throwing her head back with a quick eye roll, Amy scowled back, “Are we talking about the same Rosa? She rarely talks about anyone to.. Well. Anyone.”

“Well, I guess we aren’t talking about the same person then,” He leaned back into his chair, back to playing with the ball before eying her ring finger, “Now tell me, Santiago, how’s the hubby at home? Things.. Rough?”

She watched his eyes dart down to her empty ring finger. Her thumb rubbed gently against it, feeling every ounce of pain resurface about the topic as well as his assumption of her home and love life. “Let’s just.. Talk about a case or something else, okay Peralta?”

It was that moment he knew he kinda pushed the boundaries. But he wasn’t going to let her get away that easily. She was just another puzzle waiting to be solved. And you bet Jake Peralta was going to be the one to solve it.


	3. miss riley and mr. penguin

“Auntie RoRo, where’s Mama?”

Rosa put her paperwork to the side, watching the five year old curl up in her lap. It was the classical Santiago way of showing _“I’m tired and don’t feel great and need any kind of affection to get me through it.”_ There were countless nights where Rosa would come over to hang out with the small family and at least one of the girls  _ (usually Riley)  _ had their head in their mom’s lap, with Amy's fingers running through their hair until said daughter was fast asleep.

And now, this was the only way to keep Riley from getting more upset. “She’s working right now, pal.”

“Why can’t she snuggle with me?”

“Just like I said, Ri. She’s working.”

“When will she be done?” She whined, tears fighting to keep from pouring out, “I just want Mama.”

Trying her best to play mom for the moment, Rosa ran her fingers through her niece’s hair. “Soon. I’m keeping an eye out for her.”

Out of the three girls, Riley was Amy’s shadow. She was convinced it was a phase. Emily went through it, then Sarah did as well. But both grew out of the tendency by age four, desiring independence like their tiny lives depended on it. Yet here was Riley, still soaking up all the perks that came with being the littlest Santiago.

The detective’s sergeant soon approached the break room, seeming to be in a rush but not one big enough to cause a commotion in the bullpen. Terry soon stopped in his tracks once he saw the little girl with Rosa.

“Hey Diaz, who do you have here?”

“You remember the new detective? Santiago? It’s her kid,” She felt Riley move closer to her, “She woke up sick this morning and there was nobody else to watch her. So here we are.”

Terry gave a reluctant nod, understanding the situation but still somewhat uneasy. “Gotcha. Well, Boyle had a breakthrough with your guys’ case--the one with Weller. I need you to go check in with him on it.”

As he walked away, Rosa’s mind began to race. She remembered Holt’s words from this morning and how Amy couldn’t afford to lose her job. Riley couldn’t be left alone in the breakroom unsupervised. Even though she was a Santiago, the kid didn’t exactly inherit the Santiago gene to follow every rule to a fault.  _ (Something Rosa absolutely  _ **_loved_ ** _ about this kid.) _

Her eyes scanned the bullpen in search of options. Gina was an option but remembered that the first interaction she had with Amy this morning wasn’t exactly great. Hitchcock and Scully... Never was an option to begin with. Sarge was focusing on paperwork and probably uncomfortable with the idea of a little kid around the precinct. That left one person for the job.

Scooping up the girl, Rosa made her way towards the adjacent desks. Riley’s eyes surveyed the area while caught completely off-guard. “Where are we going?”

“I have to go check in with someone so you’re gonna hang out with one of my friends.”

“But Sir said you and Mommy had to keep an eye on me,” Her bottom lip quivered, “Or else you’ll be in trouble.”

Rosa snickered at the new nickname for Holt, “It’ll just be for a few minutes. And your mom might beat me back to her desk.” Riley was placed down in the chair and given the cell phone from her aunt’s pocket to keep her busy.

The detective then turned to the adjacent desk, pounding her fist on the surface of it to wake up her co-worker. “Jake. Up.”

His head shot up, disoriented from the wake-up call. “It was Charles. I was just catching up on paperwork.”

“Sure,” She replied after rolling her eyes, “I have to go do some work with Boyle really quick and Amy’s off working on some HR stuff still. Can you keep an eye on Rylie for a bit?”

He stretched his arm with a yawn soon following. “Sure, I guess.”

“Auntie Rosa!” Rylie whispered and tugged on her aunt’s jacket sleeve. Her eyebrows furrowed together in distress, almost pleading for this not to happen. “He’s a stranger.”

One more sigh followed before Rosa met Riley at her eye level. She held out her pinky finger. “I promise you Detective Peralta will keep you safe. And if he is mean to you, I will beat him up. Okay pal?”

Riley bit her lip while weighing all the options. If her aunt said this guy was safe, then he had to be safe. Auntie Rosa never lies. Ever. So, with that thought staying at the forefront of her tired mind, Riley’s pinky wrapped around Rosa’s. “Deal.” A quick kiss on the head followed before Rosa made her way to meet with Charles.

On the other end of the desk clump, Jake watched from a distance. The kid looked bored and was probably done with being stuck at some stuffy, boring police precinct. Her nap earlier barely lasted an hour. Amy’s been off doing things all morning and now Rosa joined in the busyness. And now here Riley was, trying to pass the time with a phone.

His hand closed the file with his paperwork, giving up on it for the time being. There was a crime in progress happening right in front of him--Riley not having any fun.

“So Riley,” Jake leaned forward, a smile spread across his face, “How old are you again?”

“Five,” Her small voice barely carried across the desks, “I’ll be six in October.”

“One full hand then? That’s really cool,” He glanced around his desk for something to do, something other than playing on a stupid phone. That’s when it hit him, “Have you ever made a basket before?”

Riley’s head cocked to the side as she cautiously raised an eyebrow. “A basket?”

“Yeah, like with a basketball,” His small foam ball rest in his hand, playing with it as he watched for her response.

She simply shrugged before shaking her head. Jake gasped, “No way!”

“I don’t play basketball. I’m still too little,” Her voice now rose a bit, “I do ballet though.”

“Ballet.. Huh. How about this,” Jake pointed to the small basket hanging on the window, “If I teach you how to shoot a basket from where you’re at, will you teach me a ballet move?”

It would be fun to do something other than playing on her aunt’s phone, she thought. Her mom already didn’t approve of screens and having them fill the pauses in one’s day. With a swift nod, Jake got up and met her on the other side of the desk. The ball was placed in her hand as he pointed to the basket.

“You see that white piece of cardboard, with the rectangle on it?”

“It’s a square, Detective Peralta,” Riley replied confidently. Didn’t he know his shapes?

But the last thing he liked being called was  _ Detective _ Peralta. “Riley, pal, you can call me Jake.”

“No. Mommy says that it’s impolite to call adults by their first name.”

He sighed.  _ Of course Santiago had a rule like that.  _ “Well, I don’t like being called Detective Peralta. So how about... Mr. Jake?”

The gears in her brain turned momentarily. A shrug followed. It wasn’t  _ technically _ his first name. And there was still a “Mr.” at least. “Okay Mr. Jake.”

“Now that sounds better, Miss Riley,” Their direction focused again on the hoop, “All you have to do is look at that rectangle--”

“Square!”

“Whatever,” He shook his head, “You’re going to look at the shape and try to throw the ball right there. Got it?”

Riley cocked her head once more. “I think so.”

Releasing from her hands, the ball went flying through the air, somehow hitting the flimsy backboard and landing in the mesh net. Jake cheered from behind. She turned around to face him, a grin from ear to ear. “I did it, Mr. Jake!”

“Yeah you did!” Jake’s fist hit hers in celebration, with his soon pretending to explode with some booms echoing from him. Her look then shifted back to one of confusion. “You’ve never seen a fist bomb before?”

“No but I know now!” Riley then jumped out Amy’s chair, straightening herself and wiping some excess snot from her nose. “Now it's time for ballet. Stand straight like me.”

Chuckling, Jake rolled his shoulders and mimicked her position. “You’re the boss, kid.”

“Then put your feet like this,” She pushed her heels to be against each other, feet facing out, “Kinda like you’re waddling like a penguin.”

He followed her directions and waited for the next, “Now what?”

“And your arms are gonna be like this,” Her hands barely met at her stomach, forming a c-like shape with her arms, “It’s like you're carrying a big ball.”

“Done,” Jake struggled to keep his balance, making Riley giggle a bit, “What do you call this? A penguin at the beach?”

“No silly. It’s called first position,” Balancing on the balls of her feet, Riley tried to focus on teaching rather than her upset stomach, “Now do this with your feet.”

“Got it.”

“And you can go up and down and up and down and up and--” Her cheeks puffed up like earlier. She knew what she had to do, but where was her mom? Her mom was the one who would rub her back and tell her it was going to be okay. And she wasn’t there.

Seeing the scene slowly unfurl, Jake grabbed the trash can from his desk and put it in front of the girl. “Do you feel like you’re gonna be sick?”

Then came the vomit.

“Well, I guess that answers that,” Jake, wondering what to do next in this situation, tried to hide his frown. The last thing he wanted was for Riley to get more upset. “Do you need anything?”

Her quivering lip returned as she came up from the trash can. The embarrassment took over as she edged towards tears and soft whimpers. “I want my Mommy.”

What was he supposed to do? This isn’t his kid. He was not a babysitter  _ (or at least not a super great one) _ . Rosa and Charles were working on a case. Sarge was in a meeting with Holt. Gina wouldn’t be extremely helpful. And, worst of all for both Jake and Riley, Santiago wasn’t anywhere to be found.

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re okay,” Taking a chance, he picked up the girl and put her on his chair, reaching for the McDonald’s napkins from yesterday’s lunch and offering them to her, “Want to wipe off your face?”

Obviously worried, Riley nodded and slowly wiped her face from the ordeal. Embarrassment could not begin to express how she felt right now. She was beginning to think Mr. Jake was cool and not as bad as she thought. But now, she just threw up right in front of him, the last thing she wanted to do today.

Her brown teary eyes met his seconds after she finished up. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jake..”

“For what?” Jake chuckled, “You don’t have to apologize for being sick, Miss Riley. It was an accident. Accidents happen.” He pulled back the trash can for her to throw away her napkin. “If anything, I’m sorry your mom wasn’t here to help you and you had to deal with me.”

His comment made Riley chuckle. “You did good. My tummy feels a bit better now.”

“That’s great... Pal,” A beat followed. “Is Rosa the only one allowed to call you pal or?”

“No, you can call me it too. But I get to call you Mr. Penguin.”

“Why Mr. Penguin?”

“Because you look like a penguin when you dance,” Her little laughs lifted the mood, relieving Jake and allowing him to join in on the lighter atmosphere.

“Riley!” Amy pushed past some beat cops and other detectives to join Jake and her daughter, kneeling in front of Riley. Her hands pushed back her daughter’s hair before she pressed a long kiss on Riley’s forehead, completely relieved that she was okay. “I heard you got sick, babe.”

Her daughter shrugged as a half smile curled up. “Yeah, but I’m okay. Mr. Jake was really nice and helped me get cleaned up.”

As if on cue, the two detectives turned to each other. Amy felt absolutely stupid for letting her daughter out of her sight and even worse that her new partner--who barely knew her and her kid, and also was a kid himself--had to take care of Riley and clean up the mess while she did her job. This wasn’t in his job description. He didn’t sign up to be a babysitter. Yet he stepped up and did it, the last thing she expected him to do right now.

Her ability to form the right words struggled a bit at first, but soon she resorted to just two that summed up what she was feeling. “Thank you.. For taking care of Riley.”

“Eh, it was no problem,” She watched him shrug, “Miss Riley here is a pretty cool kid. Taught me how to dance today.”

Looking back up to her youngest, Amy looked surprised, “Oh really?”

“Mr. Jake dances like a penguin, Mama,” The little one snickered and caused Amy to join her.

On the other end, Jake playfully scoffed, “That’s  **_Mr. Penguin_ ** to you, Miss Santiago.”

But all the snickers and jokes came to an end as Holt towered behind the detectives. His arms folded and face remained its casual stoic. But as the pair, feeling his unannounced presence in the air, turned to meet him, Amy could see the disappointment in his face.

“Detective Santiago, join me in my office,” His arm gestured back to the open door.

Amy’s face fell. Fate spoke for itself in this moment. Her stint at the 99 was over and now here she was, planning for plan B. She regretted not thoroughly looking into a plan B prior to the big move. It felt like the universe put the 99 in the palm of her hands, and it now could take it away just as quickly.

Now in Holt’s office, Amy sat in one of the chairs adjacent to her captain. Her hands intertwined as her thumbs twiddle in anxiety. The day had not started off well and it looks like it wasn’t going to end well either.

Holt leaned back in his chair, “Santiago, do you know why I chose to keep you here this morning?”

She bit her bottom lip while pondering for an answer, “Because I’m a single mother to three young girls that rely on me for everything, so I need a job?”

“No,” He sighed, a first for Holt, “The minute you walked in here, even though you had brought Miss Santiago in with you, I could see your responsibility, confidence, and loyalty. You could have easily called in today and requested the day off, explaining that your child was ill and you needed to take care of her.” Holt leaned forward to rest his arms on the desk, “But you came in, ready to work. You worked hard today and you still made sure your child was well taken care of.”

“Sir, if I may,” Amy shook her head, “I left her with Rosa who then left her with Peralta, and she threw up in the middle of the precinct. How does that qualify me as responsible?”

“We all make mistakes, Detective Santiago. We learn from them. I encourage you to not focus on what went wrong today but rather to continue to look forward,” A beat followed, “There is a bright future for you here, not only at this precinct but also in the NYPD.”

“What if I’m not the right person for the job? I have three girls, all who need me and fight for me constantly. After today, part of me worries that I will not be a good fit here.”

Shaking his head slightly, Holt turned and reached for the thick stack of folders behind him. On the cover in the top right corner, “Detective Amy Santiago” was scribbled in with pen. The captain then proceeded to open it. “Are you telling me, Santiago, that all of your references are incorrect then?”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“All of your references from your former precincts here refer to you as a confident and responsible detective,” He flips forward a few pages, “Your character reference--Detective Diaz--claims that you are one of the strongest and most brilliant people she has ever met.” 

Another few pages revealed a typed essay--double-sided, single-spaced, the classic Santiago style--which Holt proceeded to hold up. “Your application essay focused on why you chose to become a detective. You had your first daughter before joining the academy. When you saw your child in your arms for the first time, you said you knew that you wanted to make the place a safer world for her and everyone else.”

Putting the essay back in its spot and closing the folder, Holt returned to leaning forward and facing his newest detective, “Are you informing me that the Amy Santiago in this application is not the same as the detective sitting in my office currently?”

Silence filled the room, making it uncomfortable for her. She felt ashamed that her first day did not go as planned. She did not make the right impression with Holt and now she was just digging a deeper hole for herself. The only option now was to brace for the next few words that were going to come out of her captain’s mouth.

“Santiago.. May I call you Amy?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Amy,” His eyes seemed to turn a bit soft, not enough to be noticeable to the naked eye but just enough for Amy to feel the change in tone, “You are the right person for my squad. I would be a fool to let you go. You are an exceptional detective, despite what went wrong today. You are needed here. And you have made a great first impression.”

As if he was ending the conversation at that last note, Holt leaned back in his chair, “About your other daughters, what time do they finish with school today?”

Shocked and still in awe that he told her that she’s already made a great impression, Amy shook her head while trying to think clearly about her family’s schedule. “Uh, 2:45 and then 3:15, sir. I was planning for them to walk home.”

“Save the walk for another day. It’s supposed to rain this afternoon,” She remained confused at his proposal. “Please grab your children and spend the evening with them. Then I will see you in the office tomorrow.”

“Are you sure, sir? They are more than capable--”

“That is a command, Detective Santiago,” His attention now shifted to the remaining paperwork on his desk, pen dancing across the page, “Also, if Miss Santiago, Riley, is still ill tomorrow, please call and then spend the day at home with her. We cannot afford anymore sickness spreading throughout the precinct.”

“Yes, sir. I will do so,” She began to make her way out before stopping at the door frame, “Captain Holt?” His eyes looked up, an eyebrow raising as well. “I really do look forward to learning more under you.”

“I do as well.”


	4. nothing serious

“Mommy, Sarah called me a punk.”

“She deserved it,” The 11 year old shrugged while pushing the red cart back up the aisle from the cereal aisle.

At the end of the aisle with the second cart, Amy sighed. Saturdays were peaceful for her family with the only exciting event being grocery shopping every other week. Somehow, she managed to get these days off to spend with her girls doing not only the mundane household duties but also to hang out with them and hear more about their weeks.

It had been two months since their initial move to Brooklyn and their schedules had finally become routine enough for all four of the Santiagos. On weekdays, Amy would be up at the crack of dawn to get ready and make sure the girls were up. All four would go their separate ways about an hour later, with Amy heading to work and the girls heading to school. 

Afternoons would be spent doing extracurriculars and homework before all four would join around the dining room table to share about their day over a dinner made by Emily. Showers and bedtime would follow before they would be up just mere hours later to repeat the same schedule.

Weekends were the whole family’s peaceful breather from busy, full schedules.

“Mom?”

Except for right now.

She opened her eyes to glance over at Sarah and Riley. “You two need to be nice. Seriously. I don’t want a repeat of last Saturday.”

Both sets of eyes immediately darted to the ground. They knew what happened last Saturday, and none of the four girls wanted a repeat of it. Focusing back on her shopping list, Amy crossed off the respective items she picked up before looking back up to Emily.

“Now we need some bread for sandwiches this week,” Amy began to push the cart with Emily beside her and the two youngest following behind, “Tell me more about that English class, Em.”

“It’s really interesting! We just started on Great Expectations and evaluated the different characters and everything in it,” Emily walked ahead of the cart, “And Miss Rogers says we’ll start Pride and Prejudice in a few weeks!”

“That’s awesome,” Just as Emily was about to continue, Amy felt her phone vibrate with Peralta’s contact on the screen. Dread filled her whole body.

It wasn’t that working with Peralta was bad but it was definitely not her favorite thing in the world. Sometimes it felt like she went from watching her three kids to watching another one. The only difference being her partner had a gun and a strong addiction to anything sugar. His antics got on her nerves most of the time--more like  **_a lot_ ** of the time--and made her go insane. 

And now he called on her off day that was reserved just for her girls.  _ This better be important. _

“Hey, Em, hold on a sec. It’s work stuff. It’ll be really quick. Can you help your sisters pick out some bread?” Emily went off to assist her siblings as Amy answered the phone, “What’s up, Peralta? I’m with my kids right now.”

_ “Holt says everyone needs to come back to the 99. There was just an abduction. Three kids.” _

She felt her breath hitch as the scenario hit too close to home, “Oh.. Okay. Um, I’m out grocery shopping with my kids so I’ll have to drop them off first. Can you walk me through the case? Descriptions of the kids? The abductor?”

_ “Three kids, all girls. There’s one who’s around 14 or 15, definitely a teenager. Then an 11 year old and a five year old.” _ Her eyes kept a close watch on Emily, Sarah, and Riley as they debated the loaves of bread.  _ “Teenager has dark brown hair, pretty wavy. A gray quarter zip and some black leggings. 11 year old is wearing her hair in a ponytail with an NYPD sweatshirt. And the 5 year old has on some pink t-shirt and rainbow leggings, hair is in two braids.” _

Amy was confused by the description. It seemed all too similar to her kids. But she knew the world was funny and it was most likely all just one giant coincidence. “And the abductor?”

_ “Some lady in her late thirties. Wearing a ball cap and a ponytail. A Columbus sweatshirt and some black leggings. Gray Nikes that look absolutely ridiculous,” _ She heard him shuffle in the background.  _ “Witnesses say she is a control freak that keeps lists like a nerd. Can’t handle conflict well. Smells kinda weird.” _

And that’s when he basically gave himself up to her. “Okay, Jake, where are you?”

_ “And she sucks at basketball. Watch out world, she is  _ **dangerous** _.” _ The phone beeped as Jake hung up the phone and came up behind Amy. “Well, hey there Santiago. Weird to see you here at Target on a Saturday.”

“You know Saturdays are my day off to spend with the girls,” Both turned down to watch the girls come back with two loaves of bread, “Today just happened to be grocery day.”

Seeing Jake with her mom, Riley sprinted ahead before throwing herself into Jake’s arms. “Mr. Penguin!”

“Miss Riley!” He returned the unforeseen hug, putting her down soon after to kneel and meet her at her level, “You keeping your mom out of trouble?”

Riley’s head cocked to the side, eyes darting up to look at Amy and back to Jake, “Mommy never gets in trouble.”

It wasn’t long before Sarah broke the interaction and shot a pointed look towards the man, “Who the heck are you?”

Jake stood up, his signature goofy grin shining, and offered a hand, “Jake Peralta, your mom’s boss.”

“Not true,” Amy stopped him short and got between the three, “Jake, what are you doing here? You’re not exactly the person to grocery shop. You yourself even said you religiously live off take-out.”

“Wow, so you really do know me, Santiago,” Standing up, he nodded towards the other bumbling detective down the aisle in front of the frozen foods, “Charles is getting me groceries because I eat so much take-out. Wants me to eat better or something.”

From behind, Charles saw the group and waved excitedly before attempting to put a stack of frozen pizzas in the cart. That wave is how the pizzas soon landed on the ground and Jake’s bumbling best friend now disgruntledly picking them up. All the girls fought fits of giggles. All except Amy, who ushered them off towards the book section with one of the carts so she could straighten her colleague out.

“You do know the frozen pizzas aren’t exactly better than take-out, right?” Amy bit her lip all while praying he knew the facts and believed her.

“But I’m saving more money by getting the pizzas frozen so I heat them up later. Don’t have to pay a tip or worry about some Uber driver. It’s all about being frugal, Santiago,” He peered down at her cart. Nothing but fruits and veggies, some lunch meat, and a few other random items. “Wow, you must be the fun mom.”

“I want my kids to eat right, not just crappy food full of sugar and everything.”

“They’re gone now, Santiago. You can say other words.”

“Like what?”

“Like,” He leaned forward, his eyes looking around and making sure the coast was clear of the girls. Bringing down his voice, Jake finally whispered, “ **_Shitty_ ** .”

“You’re a  **_child_ ** , Peralta,” Amy scoffed, “Shouldn’t you help Charles?”

Still fumbling with different boxes of food, Jake shook his head, “Nah. I’m gonna leave him to it. He knows what he’s doing.”

Grabbing the cart and beginning to turn it towards the end of the aisle, the mother shook her head, “I’m gonna go find my kids. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

He began to jog right beside her-- _ probably the most exercise he had gotten today _ \--as she made her way back to the kids. “So tell me. The kids always stuck with you or do they get to have some fun with their dad?”

It caught her off guard but she kept going. This conversation wasn’t new but one not to be discussed in the middle of a busy Target, “Change the subject.”

“Oh-kay,” Jake rattled his brain for a new topic, still thinking about the lack of Gushers and Fruit Roll-Ups in her cart, “Do your kids like to read as much as you do?”

Chuckling, she shook her head lightly, “Only if you knew.”

They now walked in a steady rhythm, Amy explaining the girls’ reading habits. She loved the fact they were book enthusiasts, constantly yearning for a good story to go to sleep, pass long trips, and anything else. Each loved a different genre and watched the store shelves like hawks for new releases or hidden gems. Finding a new book to dive into was like finding gold, and it took everything in Amy to make sure they didn’t buy each new book they saw.

Their conversation was soon stopped as Riley ran up to the pair, a book tucked under each arm and a few stacked in her hands. “Mommy, look at all the books!”

“Wow, you--you definitely have a lot of books,” Baffled, Amy bent down to help the five year old with her new found treasures, “But what’s our rule about books, Ri?”

A heavy sigh escaped Riley’s lips, her arms folding and a small scowl forming, “No more than two books.”

“That’s my girl,” The mother rubbed her youngest’s cheeks and looked at the books in her own hands, “Now, let’s pick two and then head home.”

Riley’s focus shifted from Amy up to Jake. A small glimmer of hope shone in her eye, “Can Mr. Jake help me pick my two books?”

This made the mother freeze, praying that her own offspring was joking. She was the one to help the girls decide which books to get, making sure they got age  **_and_ ** Santiago appropriate books. By letting Jake help Riley, there were sure to be some books about butts and farts and other ridiculous things sitting on her five year old’s shelf.

“Please Mommy?” Riley’s exasperated voice brought her back into reality. She brought out the sad lips and puppy dog eyes, practically begging to get her way.

A reluctant sigh was her way of giving in, handing the pile back to her daughter. “Okay, he can help you. But you ask him nicely, understand?”

“Yes ma’am!” Quickly nodding and rushing towards Jake, Riley showed him the pile. Jake’s face turned from surprise to joy as he carefully shuffled through the multiple selections. Riley walked him through why she thought it was a good pick before he would refute with a different opinion.

The mother joined her two older girls, who still scoured the shelves for the next best chapter book. Looking back over to Riley and Jake, Emily knitted her eyebrows in confusion, nudging Amy to look back at them, “Mom, you’re sure about this?”

Amy shrugged, shaking her head. Her focus remained on the books in front of her, “She asked nicely and really wanted his help.”

“But you always tell us how he’s immature and irresponsible for a grown man,” Emily’s face fell more in disgust, “And a poor excuse for a detective most days.”

“But Riley loves being around him. And,” Amy tore her glance from the books to look back at the heartwarming scene unfurling, “I’m just gonna leave them be.”

Emily rolled her eyes, pulling another chapter book down from the shelf, “Hope you like books about butts. You know he’s gonna pick that.”

It would be just a few moments later when Riley would return, one of her hands holding Jake’s and the other with two books tucked against her chest. A grin spread across her face as she skipped, “We picked two books!”

“Oo, show me, babe,” Amy put her own book on her legs as she knelt down to see Riley and Jake’s picks.

Riley rotated them around, the same proud grin shining. Her finger then pointed proudly to the yellow flower on the front, “This one is called Chrys.. Chrysanth..” Eyes soon shot up to Jake, “How do you say it again?”

Jake chucked, “Chrysanthemum. Big word, huh?”

“Yeah! Chrys.. an.. the.. mum!” She slowly sounded it out again while facing Amy, “Jake says it's about a little mouse and her name!”

Amy then looked up towards him, shock filling every fiber of her being, but a small surprised smile growing on her face, “You picked this out?”

He scratched the back of his head. Jake’s eyes never met Amy’s but his smile was a reflection of hers. “Yeah.. It was one we read a lot when I TA’d in high school.”

“You--” Amy stifled a laugh, “You were a TA?”

_ Now it made a whole lot more sense why he and Riley clicked when they first met _ , she thought.

Shushing her, he looked around, “Yes, but don’t make a big deal about it. Or else Charles will find out and then the 99 and I will  **_never_ ** live it down.”

Nodding, she remained locked on him, “What grade?”

“Kindergarten,” His hands trailed into his pockets, feeling completely exposed, “I needed one more community service to graduate. It was either help out with the kindergarteners or..” Jake shuddered at the thought, “Work in the stupid library.”

And that right there is what made Amy Santiago burst out laughing, along with her two oldest girls. Jake Peralta did not want to work in the library for a semester--one measly semester--so he helped in a kindergarten class.

Again, the detective tried to shush the three girls, “Hey, hey, working with the five year olds was way better than some stuffy old library.”

“And why was that?”

“Five year olds are  **_funny_ ** . They tell you about literally everything. And,” Both of his index fingers pointed upwards as a smug smile began to appear, “They aren’t afraid to talk about poop and farts and boogers and--”

“You’re gross,” Sarah’s face turned to disgust, shaking her head and trying her best not to puke in her mouth.

Then taking a knee besides the youngest Santiago, Jake pointed towards Amy, “And poop is what brings us to our last book. Miss Riley, will you do us the honors?”

Shuffling the books, the girl put the next selection on top, leaving her two older sisters speechless and her mother practically fuming. But with a bold, innocent grin, Riley exclaimed, “Everybody Poops!”

Her eyes narrowed towards him as she tried to ignore the goofy look he had on. She wasn’t going to let this book cross her home’s threshold. It’s home wasn’t going to be on their family’s shelf. Not one page was going to be opened and read to her baby at bedtime. This book--

“Can we get it Mommy?” There go the puppy eyes once more, the same pair that was always too hard to resist.

A final puff as she stood up, giving up the battle. “Sure.”

* * *

Noises in the middle of the night at the Santiago home were rare. A fan or two may blow during the summer time, and then the gentle hum of the fridge at sporadic moments, were some of the only constant noises. Nights were typically silent.

But when the bathroom echoed with the sound of glass shattering, Emily jolted from her sleep. Her eyes darted around the room to figure out what had happened. Something in her kept pestering that something was wrong. But the other half, one that was begging to fall asleep once more, argued the opposing view, that nothing was wrong and it was all just a part of her dream.

Eyes drooping and heavy, she grabbed her duvet and pulled it over her, snuggling deep into the mattress. It had to be a dream. Nobody could’ve come into their house this late. It seemed too bizarre, even for a place like the suburbs of New York.

“Em?” The voice whispered just seconds after her eyes closed, “Emily, wake up.”

Her fist rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up, now facing her wide awake sister and trying to make sense of the situation. “It’s the middle of the night. You--”

“The window in the bathroom broke,” Sarah interrupted.

All that the oldest sister could do was shake her head, once more attempting to return to her sleeping state. “No, it’s just a dream.”

“Emily,” Sarah pulled the covers off, dragging out the name in frustration, “Something’s wrong. Are you gonna tell Mom?”

“Everything’s fine. Go back to sleep,” A weak murmur escaped Emily before falling back asleep.

With her arms folded and simply frustrated at the situation, Sarah marched back to her bed on the opposite side of the room. This was stupid. Something happened. She swore it happened. But now her sister, the one who was supposed to be protecting her and their family, was just going to fall back asleep and ignore what was happening.

However, just a few rooms down from the older sisters’ room, Amy was up, reaching slowly for her gun. Her footsteps across the room were silent as she attempted to avoid every squeak the floor could make if stepped on.

Carefully turning the corner, Amy stopped in her footsteps when she saw Riley walking towards her bedroom, blanky in hand and thumb in mouth. Her jaw dropped before she quickly stepped forward to put a hand on the girl’s mouth. “Riley, go to your sisters’ room. Now.”

“But Mommy--” Her thought was cut off as her mother picked her up and walked a few more steps down the hall, turning the knob for the girls’ room and entering quickly.

Her oldest two were still sound asleep, a sight that baffled the somewhat seasoned detective. Putting her gun out of reach, she began to wake Emily up, shaking her and turning on the side table lamp. “Emily, Sarah, wake up.” Her hushed voice, urgent and aware, brought both of the oldest out of their sleep.

Emily’s eyes squinted at the light as Riley was placed on her bed. What was her mom doing? It was the middle of the night. Her mom didn’t lose her sanity this often. _(And especially at_ ** _this_** _hour.)_ “What the--”

“You two, watch Riley and stay here. Do not move,” Amy shook Sarah as well before walking back to the door, “Emily, text Rosa and tell her to get here ASAP.”

“What’s going on?”

“Just do what I say and stay safe,” About ready to leave again, the mother faced her three girls and bit her lip. A worried expression captured her face. “I love you girls. Please be safe.”

Back in the hallway and continuing to keep her brave face on, Amy padded around the house. The fact that her girls were just over in the other room forced her to stay vigilant. Nobody was going to touch her girls. Nobody was going to get near them. And nobody was going to take her away from them. Period.

She counted the seconds that passed while patrolling the house and waiting for Rosa. Her best friend, the woman who was practically her sister, would be here right now. She didn’t have to do this alone. But every second without her was another her daughters were left vulnerable in that bedroom.

A pounding at the door then startled her. She turned quickly on her heels to face it and took careful steps with her gun pointed right at it. But the following voice calmed all fears, bringing some familiarity with the simple phrase Amy commanded on a daily basis.

“NYPD, open up!”

Her heels spun again, continuing those gentle steps back to the door to look through the peephole. On the other side of that door was none other than Jake Peralta.

And who was he responding to a call in the middle of the night?

“Jake,” She groaned in a low voice to herself before opening the door, “What  **_the hell_ ** are you doing here?”

“There was a call from this address. Break in,” The pair now surveyed the house, sticking close to one another. “I didn’t know it was your place though. If it was I--”

“Wouldn’t have responded?” Amy spit back, a small smirk emerging.

Before he could even respond, another smash of glass hit the hardwood floors. Amy’s eyes darted in the direction of the girls. They were okay. They were safe. They had to be.

The jerk of Jake’s head towards the noise pulled her back into reality. “I’ll go check out the sound. You go check on the girls.”

As she went towards the bedroom, he tread across the hardwood floor. Every squeak sent a shiver down his spine. Who would break into a home with kids  **_and_ ** in the middle of the night? And into the home of a detective? Has this person done any of their research?

“Hey.”

Rosa’s sudden greeting made Jake jump, trying to catch his breath and not be too loud. “Rosa,” He scowled, “Where did you come from?”

“Emily called me. I told her to call 911 and I would be at the house as soon as I could,” They continued the walk towards the noise, guns pointed forward, “Sometimes I think you forget that I’m practically these girls’ aunt.”

“But how did you get in? I didn’t hear the door open or anything.”

“Don’t worry about it,” She continued down the hallway, “Let’s get this bastard out of here.”

Both now stood outside the bathroom. The door was closed with Rosa and Jake on each side, waiting for the other to make the next move. Rosa gave a subtle but quick nod as the other banged on the door. “NYPD, open up.”

No noise, not even a clatter, came through the door. Jake banged once more. “NYPD. Come on out.”

“Jake, just go,” Rosa exasperated at a hushed level.

He turned the knob and began to enter. The curtains were being blown around from the broken window, a collection of shattered glass right below it.

Coming in right after him, Rosa lowered her gun and shook her head. “Damn it, they’re gone.”

Back-up came soon after as the sun began to rise in the distance. Amy sat in the living room with a sleepy Riley as her statement was taken, and Emily and Sarah sat opposite on the couch, fighting to stay awake. Back in the kitchen, Jake and Rosa leaned against the counter.

They should have caught him. Whoever this guy was that broke in, they should be arrested and in holding, not free and roaming the suburbs of New York. Out of the two detectives, Jake felt horrible. He could have done something. He could have...

“Snap out of it, dude,” Rosa passed him a glass of water, “You’re spacing out pretty hard.”

Taking a sip, Jake shook his head, “We could have done something.”

“But this is what happened,” She replied, “And even though it’s shit and a fucked up situation, we have to make the best out of it.”

“I just...” He sighed, “I don’t want those kids living in fear. Someone freaking broke into their house. That’s not normal.”

“But they know their mom and aunt are great detectives who would do anything to save their lives. Don’t beat yourself up. They’re safe. Trust me.”

Finishing off the glass minutes later, the male detective put it in the sink before walking towards the front of the house where the Santiagos were. It was his time to go. Holt probably wasn’t going to let him work the case, despite how bad he wanted to.

“Hey, Santiago, I’m heading out. Do you,” His hands were shoved into his pockets like an embarrassed middle school boy, stumbling over his thoughts, “Do you or the girls need anything?”

Amy, holding a now sleeping Riley close to her and rubbing small circles on her back, gave a small smile. He was still practically a child in every way, but Jake cared in that moment. He could act professional. Those childish instincts could be put away at a moment’s notice so he could protect the community. And that night he wasn’t protecting just his community, but his partner and her family.

She shook her head, “I don’t think so. Rosa’s staying with us for a bit until the girls and I kinda return back to normal. It’ll be like a big party over here,” A light chuckled followed, “But thank you.. For being there tonight. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Biting his lip and looking up at the ceiling, Jake tried to hold it in. There were  **_kids_ ** around. He couldn’t--

“‘I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.’ Title of your sex tape.”

“ **_Jake_ ** . The kids?!”

“My bad. I owe you one. Coffee on me tomorrow.”

Another eye roll was her only response, “Fine. See you tomorrow, Peralta.”

Back in his car, Jake leaned his head back. It had been years since he used that ongoing joke. It was saved for those special stupid moments with Sophia when they wanted to poke fun at each other.

Amy wasn’t like Sophia. Amy was stuck up. Amy was stupid smart. Amy was the opposite of him. Amy had  **_kids._ ** He couldn’t have feelings for her. It wouldn’t work. It shouldn’t work. It wasn’t going to work.

Rolling his neck around, he shifted to sit up straight in the seat, hands on the wheel and taking a deep breath, “I don’t like her. It’s nothing serious. It was just a joke.”

And nothing could convince him otherwise.


End file.
